The Cleveland Browns were born in 1946 in the AAFC league. The Browns won the league championship in all four years of the AAFC existence (1946-47-48-49). The 1948 Browns went undefeated, and so the Browns, not Miami, are the first pro team to win every game.
The Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore (now Indy) Colts were teams in the AAFC that were accepted into the NFL in 1950. That same year the Cleveland Rams moved to Los Angeles, as the Browns had such a strong ownership and team. The silly owner of the Washington Redskins stated this about the AAFC: “the worst team in the NFL could beat their best”.
Well in 1950, first year in the NFL, Cleveland Browns won the NFL Championship! This proves all four of the Championships in the AAFC were valid. And the Browns, with four AAFC titles, have a total of 8 Championships! Pre-Super Bowl, but all very much valid Championships to be proud of.
Soon, we hope, the Browns will win their first Super Bowl and then have 9 Championships!
More fun facts:
RB Jim Brown is the greatest runner in history. His 104.3 yards per game average and 5.2 yards per carry remain the best and proof of his superior running skills.
QB Otto Graham is one of the greatest QBs of all time. His average yards gained per pass attempt of 8.63 remains the best. Otto also was the first QB to throw long down field, and so innovated the long pass play.
Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown & the Browns were responsible for these important events:
- Innovated the use of game film to scout opponents.
- Paul Browns broke pro football color barrier with the first African American players in 1946 – RB Marion Motley and DT Bill Willis – who went on to star and are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio
- Marion Motley & Bill Willis first played in September 1946 – before Jackie Robinson played his first MLB game.
- First to use full-time staff assistant coaches.
- Invented the face mask.
- Installed the first practice squad.
- Invented the “draw play”.
Kicker Lou Groza is the only player to lead the NFL in Field Goals five times (he did it five times between 1950 and 1957.)
QB Frank Ryan set a club record (since tied) when he passed for 5 touchdowns in a 52-20 rout of the Giants that sent the Browns to the NFL Title game in 1964. Two weeks later, he had 3 scoring tosses as Cleveland beat Baltimore Colts 27-0 for the 8th Pro Football Championship for the Browns.
The first Pro Bowl in its modern format was held following the 1950 season. The Browns’ Otto Graham was the player of the game that year as the American Conference beat the National Conference 28 – 27.
In the 1950s, the Browns were known for their offense. But Cleveland also allowed the fewest points in the league for five consecutive seasons beginning in 1953. No other team has done that.
September 16, 1950: In their first regular-season game since joining the NFL, the Browns stunned the defending league-champion Eagles 35-10 in a game at Philadelphia. Otto Graham keyed the rout by passing for 3 touchdowns and rushing for another.
RB Jim Brown led the league in rushing five years in a row beginning in 1957. No one else has done it more than three years in succession (which Brown also accomplished beginning in 1963.)
QB Bernie Kosar in the only quarterback in NFL history to attempt more than 300 consecutive passes without throwing an interception. He had a string of 308 tosses without a theft in a span of the 1990 and 1991 seasons!
The Browns’ six consecutive appearances in the NFL Championship Game from 1950 to 1955 are a League record. In addition, Cleveland played in the AAFC Championship game each year from 1946 to 1949. This is dynasty level play: 10 years in a row the Browns were in the Championship game!
September 21, 1970: The Cleveland Browns hosted the First Monday night football game. Cleveland beat QB Joe Namath and the visiting Jets 31-21.
Sixteen players whose primary contributions came with the Cleveland Browns have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That’s the sixth-highest total among the 32 NFL franchises.